Public Relations Tips for Promoting Your Blog

<div class="CheatSheet" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px 1rem;padding:0.3rem 0px 0.4rem 2.7rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);background-image:url(http://media.wiley.com/spa_assets/R16B060/site/dummiesmobile/include/images/icon-cheat-sheet.png);background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br></h1></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Blogs provide news and commentary one to two days ahead of major media. Those two days can make a big difference in the world of public relations. Blogs build buzz, so after you've launched your blog, use these tips to promote and monitor it:</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Submit to blog search engines.</b> Beyond the traditional search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, there are search engines and directories that track blogs exclusively and which thousands of people search every day. Submit your blog's URL to these sites for free:<span class="code"><a href="http://blogsearchengine.com">http://blogsearchengine.com</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com">http://technorati.com</a>, <a href="http://www.daypop.com">http://www.daypop.com</a>, <a href="http://blogdex.net">http://blogdex.net</a>, <a href="http://w.moreover.com">http://w.moreover.com</a>, <a href="http://www.yahoo.com">http://www.yahoo.com</a></span>, and<span class="code"><a href="http://popdex.com">http://popdex.com</a></span>.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Ping each time a new post is published.</b> The blog search engines offer a system whereby you notify (or "ping") them, either manually or automatically, each time a new post appears on your blog.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Use trackbacks and tags.</b>Look for the "trackback" linkat the bottom of a post, next to the permalink andcomments link. Trackbacking notifies ablogger that one of their posts has been featured on another blog. It's a non-intrusive way of letting a blogger know you are interested in what they have to say. "Tags" are categories and keywords for blog posts. You will often see keywords on the navigation bar of a blog. If you click on one of the keywords, it will show you all of the blogs that are categorized under one of those "tags." If someone finds your blog and wants to read all of the articles on a particular topic or keyword, tags make this very easy.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Include a growing "blogroll."</b>You'll see this on the navigation bar of many blogs. It is essentially a list of favorite blogs or related Web sites. This is one of the ways people hop from one blog to the next and help promote each other's blogs.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Participate on other people's blogs.</b> Devote a certain amount of your time actively commenting on and linking to blogs that are related to your industry and topic. Focus especially on blogs that get high traffic. And be sure to include your blog address in your email signature so that your blog will reach many new readers who see your post.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Make it easy for readers to subscribe to your blog via RSS.</b> Give lots of options so people can choose the one they prefer.</p> </li></ul>

Public Relations Tips for Promoting Your Blog

Blogs provide news and commentary one to two days ahead of major media. Those two days can make a big difference in the world of public re...

Read more »

Public Relations Tips for Promoting Your Blog

<div class="CheatSheet" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px 1rem;padding:0.3rem 0px 0.4rem 2.7rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);background-image:url(http://media.wiley.com/spa_assets/R16B060/site/dummiesmobile/include/images/icon-cheat-sheet.png);background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br></h1></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Blogs provide news and commentary one to two days ahead of major media. Those two days can make a big difference in the world of public relations. Blogs build buzz, so after you've launched your blog, use these tips to promote and monitor it:</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Submit to blog search engines.</b> Beyond the traditional search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, there are search engines and directories that track blogs exclusively and which thousands of people search every day. Submit your blog's URL to these sites for free:<span class="code"><a href="http://blogsearchengine.com">http://blogsearchengine.com</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com">http://technorati.com</a>, <a href="http://www.daypop.com">http://www.daypop.com</a>, <a href="http://blogdex.net">http://blogdex.net</a>, <a href="http://w.moreover.com">http://w.moreover.com</a>, <a href="http://www.yahoo.com">http://www.yahoo.com</a></span>, and<span class="code"><a href="http://popdex.com">http://popdex.com</a></span>.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Ping each time a new post is published.</b> The blog search engines offer a system whereby you notify (or "ping") them, either manually or automatically, each time a new post appears on your blog.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Use trackbacks and tags.</b>Look for the "trackback" linkat the bottom of a post, next to the permalink andcomments link. Trackbacking notifies ablogger that one of their posts has been featured on another blog. It's a non-intrusive way of letting a blogger know you are interested in what they have to say. "Tags" are categories and keywords for blog posts. You will often see keywords on the navigation bar of a blog. If you click on one of the keywords, it will show you all of the blogs that are categorized under one of those "tags." If someone finds your blog and wants to read all of the articles on a particular topic or keyword, tags make this very easy.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Include a growing "blogroll."</b>You'll see this on the navigation bar of many blogs. It is essentially a list of favorite blogs or related Web sites. This is one of the ways people hop from one blog to the next and help promote each other's blogs.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Participate on other people's blogs.</b> Devote a certain amount of your time actively commenting on and linking to blogs that are related to your industry and topic. Focus especially on blogs that get high traffic. And be sure to include your blog address in your email signature so that your blog will reach many new readers who see your post.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Make it easy for readers to subscribe to your blog via RSS.</b> Give lots of options so people can choose the one they prefer.</p> </li></ul>

Public Relations Tips for Promoting Your Blog

Blogs provide news and commentary one to two days ahead of major media. Those two days can make a big difference in the world of public re...

Read more »

How to Write Popular, Successful Blogs

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Blogging is one of fastest growing forms of communication. It's easy, cheap and is a great way to develop your writing skills and get your voice heard. Blogs can take a number of forms – commentaries, diaries and fiction.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The first thing to think about is the title of your blog. This is crucial: Most viewers will decide to visit your blog based on its title. The blog title should be clear and inform the reader about the nature of its content.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Similarly, you should make your headlines interesting and informative – aim to grab the reader's attention as soon as possible. Titles should include plenty of keywords to aid search engine optimization, and should be no longer than 10-12 words.</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Theme:</b> Be clear about the type of blog you're writing, and what the key themes of your blog are. Most readers will be interested in a specific topic, so don't digress into areas which aren't relevant.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Frequency:</b> Having stale or outdated content on your website reflects badly on your blog. The most popular blogs are updated a couple of times a day. Make sure that you postregularly and cover topics which are up-to-date and relevant.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Style:</b> Take time to develop your own voice and write in a way that feels natural to you. This is your blog, and should reflect your personality, so don't try to imitate someone else. Make your posts easy to understand. Remember that some idioms and acronyms won't be understood outside the UK.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Comment:</b> Allow people to comment on your posts, and aim to respond to them. Blogs should be a dialogue, not a one-way conversation. Having comments will make your blog look popular, and will help to build up a community of readers.</p> </li></ul><p class="Remember" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><b>Be savvy:</b> Avoid posting work-related items that are confidential, rude, or in any way unprofessional. It's also risky to publicise personal information about other people - this could cause embarrassment and offence.</p>

How to Write Popular, Successful Blogs

Blogging is one of fastest growing forms of communication. It's easy, cheap and is a great way to develop your writing skills and get ...

Read more »

How to Write Popular, Successful Blogs

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Blogging is one of fastest growing forms of communication. It's easy, cheap and is a great way to develop your writing skills and get your voice heard. Blogs can take a number of forms – commentaries, diaries and fiction.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The first thing to think about is the title of your blog. This is crucial: Most viewers will decide to visit your blog based on its title. The blog title should be clear and inform the reader about the nature of its content.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Similarly, you should make your headlines interesting and informative – aim to grab the reader's attention as soon as possible. Titles should include plenty of keywords to aid search engine optimization, and should be no longer than 10-12 words.</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Theme:</b> Be clear about the type of blog you're writing, and what the key themes of your blog are. Most readers will be interested in a specific topic, so don't digress into areas which aren't relevant.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Frequency:</b> Having stale or outdated content on your website reflects badly on your blog. The most popular blogs are updated a couple of times a day. Make sure that you postregularly and cover topics which are up-to-date and relevant.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Style:</b> Take time to develop your own voice and write in a way that feels natural to you. This is your blog, and should reflect your personality, so don't try to imitate someone else. Make your posts easy to understand. Remember that some idioms and acronyms won't be understood outside the UK.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Comment:</b> Allow people to comment on your posts, and aim to respond to them. Blogs should be a dialogue, not a one-way conversation. Having comments will make your blog look popular, and will help to build up a community of readers.</p> </li></ul><p class="Remember" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><b>Be savvy:</b> Avoid posting work-related items that are confidential, rude, or in any way unprofessional. It's also risky to publicise personal information about other people - this could cause embarrassment and offence.</p>

How to Write Popular, Successful Blogs

Blogging is one of fastest growing forms of communication. It's easy, cheap and is a great way to develop your writing skills and get ...

Read more »

Blogging Topics for Mom Bloggers

<div class="CheatSheet" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px 1rem;padding:0.3rem 0px 0.4rem 2.7rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);background-image:url(http://media.wiley.com/spa_assets/R16B060/site/dummiesmobile/include/images/icon-cheat-sheet.png);background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br></h1></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">When you're first thinking about starting a blog, it can be hard to think of all the possible directions you can go and to choose a strong niche for your blog topic. This list of over 300 blog topic ideas can help you brainstorm ideas on a niche that's right for you.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You don't have to choose just one of these topics for your blog. Most bloggers write about a few related topics to give their readers (and themselves!) a little variety.</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Academics and education:</b>Adult education, campus life, classroom resources, colleges and universities, curriculum, education reform and political action, elementary education, history, home schooling, homework help, librarians, literature, mathematics, multicultural, reference, research, special education, vocational</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Animals:</b> Animal rights, breeding, animal videos and photos, pets, species, research</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Arts and entertainment:</b>Acting, anime and comics, architecture, artists, art culture, books, creative writing, dance, gaming, kids' entertainment, movies, photography, poetry, reviews, television, trends, visual arts</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Business:</b> Advertising industry, careers and jobs, CEOs, coaching, copywriting, design, entrepreneurship, home business, human resources, marketing, outsourcing, business product reviews, project management, public relations, reference, research, sales, small business, training, unemployment</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Communications/personality:</b>Advice, debate, humor, multimedia, photo blog, podcasting, video blogging</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Computers:</b> Online child safety, hardware and software, privacy, security, tutorials</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Crafts:</b> Crochet, beading, ethnic crafts, fabric arts, glass arts, home decorating, jewelry making, kids' crafts, knitting, leather work, mosaic, needlework, craft patterns and downloads, paper crafts, pottery, quilting, scrapbooking, sewing, soap making, spinning, stamping, weaving, woodworking</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Environment:</b> Activism, eco products, environmental education, global warming, green living, industry, nature, natural baby resources</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Events:</b> Conferences, event planning, local, party planning, recreational events, seminars, web events, weddings</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Food and drink:</b> Alcoholic beverages, baking, cake decorating, cookbook reviews, dining, entertaining, food critic, healthy eating, international food, organic cooking, recipes</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Health/well being:</b>Addictions and recovery, allergies, alternative health, breastfeeding, dieting, disabilities, diseases, fitness, gluten-free living, healing, infertility, life coaching, medicine, meditation, men's health, mental health, personal care, pregnancy, psychiatry, psychology, public health, stress, suicide prevention, women's health</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Home and garden:</b> Antiques, construction, entertaining, gardening, holidays, home decor, home repair, homemaking, landscaping, kitchen and bath, organizing</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Industries:</b> Advertising, agricultural, architecture, automotive, broadcasting/media, finance, government, health care, industrial, investing, law and legal, packaging/paper, property management, publishing, real estate, textiles</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Internet:</b> Blogging, Internet marketing, programming,social networking and social media, search engine optimization, web design, web development</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Music:</b> Artists/bands, awards, composition, genres, history, instruments, lessons, lyrics, notation/chords/tabs, regional, reviews, news/gossip</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Personal:</b> Advice column, children/teens, family, journal, life transitions, parenting, personal development, relationships</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Politics/government:</b> Civil rights, commentary, international, legislation, lobbying, local politics, military, peace, presidential studies, terrorism, war</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Pop culture:</b> Beauty, celebrity, entertainment, fashion, gossip, popular brands and products, television shows, trends</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Religion/philosophy:</b>Denominations, ethics, history, metaphysics, schools of thought, spirituality</p></li> <li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Science:</b> Anatomy, anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biology, geology, oceanography, physics, research, zoology</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Shopping:</b> Books, cameras, clothing, coupons and discounts, children's products, fashion, fine living, gadgets/tech, gifts, home decor, office, reviews</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Society/culture:</b> Adoption, charity, civilization, community development, controversy, criminal justice, death, ethnic issues, family issues, feminism, genealogy, LGBT, men, mythology, rural living, seniors, social security, suburban living, violence, volunteering, urban living</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Sports/recreation:</b>Competitions, gaming, hobbies, individual sports, leisure, martial arts, memorabilia, motorcycles, Olympics, outdoor recreation, physical education, pro sports, racing, sporting activities, sporting events, sporting goods, sports role models, team sports</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Technology:</b> Cameras, companies, computers and tablets, electronics/gadgets, engineering, innovations, mobile, networking, news, tech companies, technology entrepreneurs and thought leaders, tools</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Travel/places/local:</b> Budget travel, camping/RV living, destinations, family travel, international, local guides, travel photography, vacation planning</p> </li></ul>

Blogging Topics for Mom Bloggers

When you're first thinking about starting a blog, it can be hard to think of all the possible directions you can go and to choose a st...

Read more »

Blogging Topics for Mom Bloggers

<div class="CheatSheet" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px 1rem;padding:0.3rem 0px 0.4rem 2.7rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);background-image:url(http://media.wiley.com/spa_assets/R16B060/site/dummiesmobile/include/images/icon-cheat-sheet.png);background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br></h1></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">When you're first thinking about starting a blog, it can be hard to think of all the possible directions you can go and to choose a strong niche for your blog topic. This list of over 300 blog topic ideas can help you brainstorm ideas on a niche that's right for you.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You don't have to choose just one of these topics for your blog. Most bloggers write about a few related topics to give their readers (and themselves!) a little variety.</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Academics and education:</b>Adult education, campus life, classroom resources, colleges and universities, curriculum, education reform and political action, elementary education, history, home schooling, homework help, librarians, literature, mathematics, multicultural, reference, research, special education, vocational</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Animals:</b> Animal rights, breeding, animal videos and photos, pets, species, research</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Arts and entertainment:</b>Acting, anime and comics, architecture, artists, art culture, books, creative writing, dance, gaming, kids' entertainment, movies, photography, poetry, reviews, television, trends, visual arts</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Business:</b> Advertising industry, careers and jobs, CEOs, coaching, copywriting, design, entrepreneurship, home business, human resources, marketing, outsourcing, business product reviews, project management, public relations, reference, research, sales, small business, training, unemployment</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Communications/personality:</b>Advice, debate, humor, multimedia, photo blog, podcasting, video blogging</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Computers:</b> Online child safety, hardware and software, privacy, security, tutorials</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> <b>Crafts:</b> Crochet, beading, ethnic crafts, fabric arts, glass arts, home decorating, jewelry making, kids' crafts, knitting, leather work, mosaic, needlework, craft patterns and downloads, paper crafts, pottery, quilting, scrapbooking, sewing, soap making, spinning, stamping, weaving, woodworking</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Environment:</b> Activism, eco products, environmental education, global warming, green living, industry, nature, natural baby resources</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Events:</b> Conferences, event planning, local, party planning, recreational events, seminars, web events, weddings</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Food and drink:</b> Alcoholic beverages, baking, cake decorating, cookbook reviews, dining, entertaining, food critic, healthy eating, international food, organic cooking, recipes</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Health/well being:</b>Addictions and recovery, allergies, alternative health, breastfeeding, dieting, disabilities, diseases, fitness, gluten-free living, healing, infertility, life coaching, medicine, meditation, men's health, mental health, personal care, pregnancy, psychiatry, psychology, public health, stress, suicide prevention, women's health</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Home and garden:</b> Antiques, construction, entertaining, gardening, holidays, home decor, home repair, homemaking, landscaping, kitchen and bath, organizing</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Industries:</b> Advertising, agricultural, architecture, automotive, broadcasting/media, finance, government, health care, industrial, investing, law and legal, packaging/paper, property management, publishing, real estate, textiles</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Internet:</b> Blogging, Internet marketing, programming,social networking and social media, search engine optimization, web design, web development</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Music:</b> Artists/bands, awards, composition, genres, history, instruments, lessons, lyrics, notation/chords/tabs, regional, reviews, news/gossip</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Personal:</b> Advice column, children/teens, family, journal, life transitions, parenting, personal development, relationships</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Politics/government:</b> Civil rights, commentary, international, legislation, lobbying, local politics, military, peace, presidential studies, terrorism, war</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Pop culture:</b> Beauty, celebrity, entertainment, fashion, gossip, popular brands and products, television shows, trends</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Religion/philosophy:</b>Denominations, ethics, history, metaphysics, schools of thought, spirituality</p></li> <li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Science:</b> Anatomy, anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biology, geology, oceanography, physics, research, zoology</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Shopping:</b> Books, cameras, clothing, coupons and discounts, children's products, fashion, fine living, gadgets/tech, gifts, home decor, office, reviews</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Society/culture:</b> Adoption, charity, civilization, community development, controversy, criminal justice, death, ethnic issues, family issues, feminism, genealogy, LGBT, men, mythology, rural living, seniors, social security, suburban living, violence, volunteering, urban living</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Sports/recreation:</b>Competitions, gaming, hobbies, individual sports, leisure, martial arts, memorabilia, motorcycles, Olympics, outdoor recreation, physical education, pro sports, racing, sporting activities, sporting events, sporting goods, sports role models, team sports</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Technology:</b> Cameras, companies, computers and tablets, electronics/gadgets, engineering, innovations, mobile, networking, news, tech companies, technology entrepreneurs and thought leaders, tools</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b>Travel/places/local:</b> Budget travel, camping/RV living, destinations, family travel, international, local guides, travel photography, vacation planning</p> </li></ul>

Blogging Topics for Mom Bloggers

When you're first thinking about starting a blog, it can be hard to think of all the possible directions you can go and to choose a st...

Read more »

Protecting Your Blog from Copyright Infringement

<div class="CheatSheet" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px 1rem;padding:0.3rem 0px 0.4rem 2.7rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);background-image:url(http://media.wiley.com/spa_assets/R16B060/site/dummiesmobile/include/images/icon-cheat-sheet.png);background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br></h1></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can use online tools to find out if any of your content has been copied by another website and to take action if your work has been plagiarized to get the copied content dropped out of Google's search results. Usually, just doing this is enough to deter plagiarizers, because the whole reason they steal content is to increase their own traffic.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">To discover if any sites have stolen your written blog content and to have them removed from Google's search results, follow these steps:</p> <ol class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> Go to <a href="http://www.copyscape.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Copyscape</a>.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Type or paste the URL of theblog post you want to check for plagiarism, and click the Go button.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Click any results and read the page to confirm if that site is indeed copying your content.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> Keep track of page(s) that truly copied your content by copying and pasting the URLs into a Word or Notepad file.</p><p class="child-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b><i>Warning:</i></b> Be absolutely sure that the offending site is using your content illegally before you take these next steps. You could be held liable for costs and legal fees if the case goes to court and it is found that the site is using your content legally. Consult with an attorney if you are unsure whether the usage is legal or illegal before proceeding.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Go to<a href="https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dmca-notice" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dmca-notice</a>.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Sign in using your Google account, and on the page that appears, fill out the form.</p></li></ol><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> You may be wondering what would prevent a malicious competitor from filing a bogus complaint against you? Sadly, nothing can stop them. Your only recourse if that happens is to file a counter notice with Google on the <a href="http://www.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=lr_counternotice&product=websearch" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">DCMA Counter Notification form</a> to get your content reinstated. (Note that it can take up to 30 days for Google to reinstate your site in their index.)</p>

Protecting Your Blog from Copyright Infringement

You can use online tools to find out if any of your content has been copied by another website and to take action if your work has been pl...

Read more »

Protecting Your Blog from Copyright Infringement

<div class="CheatSheet" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px 1rem;padding:0.3rem 0px 0.4rem 2.7rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);background-image:url(http://media.wiley.com/spa_assets/R16B060/site/dummiesmobile/include/images/icon-cheat-sheet.png);background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br></h1></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can use online tools to find out if any of your content has been copied by another website and to take action if your work has been plagiarized to get the copied content dropped out of Google's search results. Usually, just doing this is enough to deter plagiarizers, because the whole reason they steal content is to increase their own traffic.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">To discover if any sites have stolen your written blog content and to have them removed from Google's search results, follow these steps:</p> <ol class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> Go to <a href="http://www.copyscape.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Copyscape</a>.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Type or paste the URL of theblog post you want to check for plagiarism, and click the Go button.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Click any results and read the page to confirm if that site is indeed copying your content.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> Keep track of page(s) that truly copied your content by copying and pasting the URLs into a Word or Notepad file.</p><p class="child-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><b><i>Warning:</i></b> Be absolutely sure that the offending site is using your content illegally before you take these next steps. You could be held liable for costs and legal fees if the case goes to court and it is found that the site is using your content legally. Consult with an attorney if you are unsure whether the usage is legal or illegal before proceeding.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Go to<a href="https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dmca-notice" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dmca-notice</a>.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Sign in using your Google account, and on the page that appears, fill out the form.</p></li></ol><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> You may be wondering what would prevent a malicious competitor from filing a bogus complaint against you? Sadly, nothing can stop them. Your only recourse if that happens is to file a counter notice with Google on the <a href="http://www.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=lr_counternotice&product=websearch" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">DCMA Counter Notification form</a> to get your content reinstated. (Note that it can take up to 30 days for Google to reinstate your site in their index.)</p>

Protecting Your Blog from Copyright Infringement

You can use online tools to find out if any of your content has been copied by another website and to take action if your work has been pl...

Read more »

How to Set up a WordPress Blog

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">WordPress is very widely used by mom bloggers. When your blog is set up on your own hosting account, you have 100 percent control over what you do with your blog.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Every hosting company is a little different, and there are thousands of hosting companies to choose from. The WordPress team has a list of <a href="http://wordpress.org/hosting" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">hosting companies</a> that make WordPress easily available to their customers. They frequently feature Bluehost as one of the top recommendations.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Their team is very knowledgeable and helpful with WordPress setup support, and they offer so-called 1-Click Auto WordPress installation, which is well documented on their site.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">When your WordPress blog is set up, you will get an e-mail with your login URL, which is usually<span class="code">www.</span><span class="code"><i>YourDomainName</i></span><span class="code">.com/wp-admin</span>. When you log in to your blog for the first time, you see the WordPress Dashboard.</p> <div class="imageBlock" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;width:533px"><img alt="The WordPress blogging platform Dashboard." height="400" src="http://media.wiley.com/Lux/55/284055.image0.jpg" style="vertical-align: bottom; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto !important;" width="533"><div class="imageCaption" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px"> The WordPress blogging platform Dashboard.</div></div><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">From here, you should enter your blog's name and tag line right away before you start blogging:</p> <ol class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> From your WordPress Dashboard, click the Generallink under the Settings menu.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">In the Site Title text field, enter your blog's name.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">In the Tagline text field, enter your blog tag line.</p><p class="child-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> The tag line is also your blog description.</p></li></ol><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You also need to know how to install a theme and a WordPress plugin. Be thankful at this point that WordPress has improved so much over the years, because this used to be a hassle for new users. No more! It's now a simple point and click process.</p>

How to Set up a WordPress Blog

WordPress is very widely used by mom bloggers. When your blog is set up on your own hosting account, you have 100 percent control over wha...

Read more »